Author is spellbound by TV witch's career

Tim Berger / Staff Photographer

Burbank writer Herbie J. Pilato, author of his new book "The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery," paying homage to the original TV witch in the classic comedy "Bewitched" on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. Pilato will hold a book signing event this week.

Burbank writer Herbie J. Pilato, author of his new book "The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery," paying homage to the original TV witch in the classic comedy "Bewitched" on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. Pilato will hold a book signing event this week. (Tim Berger / Staff Photographer)

Alene Tchekmedyian, alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Just in time for Halloween, Burbank author Herbie Pilato will be signing his latest book, “The Essential Elizabeth Montgomery: A Guide to Her Magical Performances,” which he called an “encyclopedia” of the entire body of work for the classic TV witch.

The book, which includes exclusive interviews with the “Bewitched” star, comes on the heels of Pilato's “Twitch Upon a Star: The Bewitched Life and Career of Elizabeth Montgomery,” a biography he wrote about the actress that was published last year.

In doing research for that project, Pilato discovered Montgomery had done hundreds of guest television spots before starring in “Bewitched,” which he decided to explore in a “Twitch Upon a Star” sequel.

Her early TV appearances included guest roles on shows such as “The Twilight Zone,” “77 Sunset Strip” and “Robert Montgomery Presents,” hosted and produced by her father.

Elizabeth Montgomery's body of work after “Bewitched” included some groundbreaking roles, such as the title character in “The Legend of Lizzie Borden,” which depicts her character brutally murdering her father and stepmother in the nude, and “A Case of Rape,” in which she plays a wife and mother who is raped twice.

“She set out to prove — not that she had anything to prove — that she could do more beyond ‘Bewitched' for her ‘Bewitched' fans, and then became known for her movies,” Pilato said.

Join Pilato Saturday for a book reading and signing at Barnes & Noble at 1:30 p.m. in the Burbank Town Center, located at 731 N. San Fernando Boulevard.